By Julius Peter, Abuja
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) is advancing the development of a national digital platform designed to improve farmers’ and other agricultural stakeholders’ access to reliable, location-specific weather and climate information.
Known as the NiMet Data Hub, the platform is being developed in collaboration with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and Crea2Solutions, with the initiative now moving from its initial design and mock-up stages to an advanced Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
The development marks a significant step towards strengthening the delivery of climate services to Nigeria’s agricultural sector, particularly at a time when farmers, livestock producers and other actors in the agri-food system require timely information to manage weather and climate-related risks.
According to information on the project, NiMet weather and climate services are currently undergoing testing on the platform, which is expected to provide users with access to historical, monitored and forecast climate information.
The project commenced in February 2026 under the Climate Services for Youth (CS4Y) and Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) programmes. By July 2026, the initiative had progressed from the early design phase to a testable digital product.
The hub is intended to support a broad range of climate-informed agricultural decisions, including risk assessment, seasonal planning, production management and preparedness for weather-related events.
For farmers and livestock keepers, access to timely and location-specific weather information can be particularly important in decisions relating to planting, harvesting, irrigation, livestock movement, pasture management and other agricultural activities.
The initiative also seeks to address longstanding challenges associated with agricultural climate services in Nigeria, including fragmented information, limited coordination among data and advisory providers and difficulties in translating technical meteorological forecasts into practical information that farmers can easily understand and use.
Stakeholder engagement jointly hosted by NiMet and ILRI has therefore focused on mapping Nigeria’s agro-meteorological data and advisory landscape, identifying information and delivery gaps and strengthening institutional linkages among organisations involved in climate information services.
The engagement has also placed emphasis on improving last-mile communication so that climate information generated by technical institutions can reach producers in forms that are accessible, timely and relevant to their particular needs.
Another component of the initiative is the promotion of gender and social inclusion in the design and delivery of climate services, recognising that farmers and other agricultural stakeholders have different levels of access to information, technology and advisory support.
The NiMet Data Hub is expected to serve a wide range of users, including farmers, pastoralists, agricultural extension professionals, researchers, government institutions and private-sector advisory service providers.
NiMet’s existing resources, including its online map rooms and agricultural climate products, are expected to contribute to the digital ecosystem, providing a foundation for the development and delivery of context-specific agro-weather advisories.
Through the integration of meteorological information and agricultural advisory services, the platform is expected to help bridge the gap between the production of climate data and its practical application at farm and community levels.
ILRI’s involvement is similarly aligned with its broader work on organising research data, developing digital tools and improving the accessibility and usability of information for partners, policymakers and decision-makers.
The collaboration is therefore aimed not merely at creating another repository of climate data, but at developing a more coordinated system through which relevant information can be transformed into actionable advice for people whose livelihoods depend heavily on weather and climate conditions.
The development of the Data Hub comes against the backdrop of increasing concerns over the impact of climate variability and extreme weather events on Nigeria’s agricultural and livestock sectors.
Unpredictable rainfall patterns, dry spells, flooding, heat stress and other weather-related conditions can affect agricultural productivity and increase risks for farming and pastoral communities. Timely climate information can help producers anticipate such conditions and adjust their activities accordingly.
For government agencies and development partners, a more integrated climate information system could also strengthen planning, policy formulation and the design of interventions targeted at vulnerable agricultural communities.
The initiative is also consistent with Nigeria’s broader priorities on food security, climate-smart agriculture and digital transformation under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
By seeking to place usable weather and climate information directly in the hands of producers and agricultural advisers, the project is expected to contribute to improved preparedness, better risk management and more informed decision-making across the agricultural value chain.
As development and testing of the NiMet Data Hub continue, stakeholders will be watching how effectively the platform translates meteorological and climate data into practical, accessible and timely information for users across Nigeria’s diverse agro-ecological zones.
The ultimate objective is to strengthen the connection between climate science and agricultural practice, enabling farmers, pastoralists, advisers and institutions to make decisions based on credible information and thereby build greater resilience in Nigeria’s agri-food system.
